Sammy Going South

"Incredible Adventure in a Land That Knows a Thousand Dangers!"

1963 2h 8m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 17

Adventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After he is orphaned by an air raid on Port Said during the Suez Crisis, a young boy attempts to go by himself from the Suez Canal to Durban in South Africa where his nearest relative, Aunt Jane, lives. On the way he meets a variety of different people who help or hinder his journey - including an ageing diamond smuggler.

“Incredible Adventure in a Land That Knows a Thousand Dangers!”

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Cast

Edward G. Robinson
Cocky Wainwright
Fergus McClelland
Sammy Hartland
Constance Cummings
Gloria van Imhoff
Paul Stassino
Spyros Dracondopolous
Harry H. Corbett
Lem
Zia Mohyeddin
The Syrian
Orlando Martins
Abu Lubaba
John Turner
Heneker

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Writers: Denis Cannan
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

63 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alexander Mackendrick, shot by Erwin Hillier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jack Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Edward G. Robinson and Fergus McClelland and Constance Cummings carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Incredible Adventure in a Land That Knows a Thousand Dangers!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0056886 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 17 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alexander Mackendrick directs. Erwin Hillier behind the camera. Jack Harris cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

163 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Alexander Mackendrick, shot by Erwin Hillier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Jack Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Edward G. Robinson and Fergus McClelland and Constance Cummings carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "Incredible Adventure in a Land That Knows a Thousand Dangers!".
6IMDB entry: tt0056886 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 17 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Erwin Hillier
Editing: Jack Harris
Makeup / hair: Philip Leakey
Runtime: 128 min · 2h 8m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Sammy Going South (1963)

Also by

Alexander Mackendrick

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2025-08-22
★ 6/10
A 10 years-old boy’s colorful adventures in western Africa After a tragic bombing during the Suez Crisis in November, 1956, an English lad is forced to flee Port Said, Egypt, and travel to Durban, South Africa, a journey of some 5000 miles. Along the way he runs into an Arab “guide,” a concerned white woman tourist (Constance Cummings) and an old man hunter (Edward G. Robinson). “A Boy Ten Feet Tall” (1963) is also known by the name of the 1961 novel it’s based on, “Sammy Going South” (an inferior title). It’s, thankfully, not a Disney kid’s flick, but more along the lines of the future "The Black Stallion Returns" and, especially, “Duma,” which happens to be the best of the lot. Both this movie and “Duma” feature a galago (bush baby) scene. The director went on to do “A High Wind in Jamaica,” which is cut from the same cloth, an exotic adventure featuring kids and adults. It runs 1 hour, 53 minutes, and was shot at Shepperton Studios, just southwest of London, with location work done in Kenya (Mombasa), Uganda and Tanganyika, which is now Tanzania. GRADE: B-

Production companies